The proposed review of registration fees for the National Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) and the 2027 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) has been put on hold by the Federal Government.
In a statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations, the Federal Ministry of Education announced the decision on Monday. It stated that stakeholders’ concerns about the proposed fee adjustment prompted the suspension.
The ministry clarified that the implementation would no longer go forward as previously announced, despite the fact that the proposed review was motivated by growing expenses related to holding public examinations.
“The proposed review was informed by the prevailing economic realities and the rising cost of sustaining high-quality examination services across the nation, including logistics, security, printing of examination materials, technology deployment, quality assurance and other essential services required to maintain the integrity and credibility of public examinations,.”
“Nevertheless, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, has directed that the proposed fee review be placed on hold in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to reducing transport and education-related costs for Nigerians.”
“As part of the fresh review process, the Ministry will further engage extensively with examination bodies, State Ministries of Education, school proprietors and administrators, parents’ associations, organised labour, education stakeholders and other critical partners to ensure that any future decision is fair, sustainable, transparent and responsive to prevailing realities while safeguarding access to education.”
“Accordingly, the proposed review of examination registration fees will not take effect, as earlier communicated, pending the conclusion of the consultation process,” it added.
Reassuring Nigerians, the ministry said it remained committed to protecting students’ interests and ensuring access to quality education.
“The Federal Ministry of Education reassures Nigerians that the welfare of students, equitable access to quality education and responsible policy decisions remain at the heart of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for the education sector,” the statement
Increasing the fees for WAEC and NECO is a non-negotiable issue for me. Such a move would place an unnecessary financial burden on students and their families, hindering access to quality education and opportunities.
Education should be accessible to all, and I firmly believe that any fee hikes would only widen the gap of inequality. Therefore, I stand firmly against any plans to raise these examination fees.
